8 DIY Tips to Get That Holiday Table Look

Make mental note of these tips for achieving a Christmas-themed tablescape, so you can prepare ahead. These creative ideas are sure to make your holiday gathering more special. 

Whether you are planning to have a traditional Christmas tablescape that makes use of traditional Christmas colors such as red, green and gold, or creating a non-traditional one that uses the colors like pink, blue, lilac and lavender, you need to consider elements that will work nicely together.

Metro Home & Entertaining Editor-in-Chief, Anton Barretto, shares practical tips to create a wonderful Christmas-themed tablescape that can enhance the overall dining experience of the group.

1. CREATE A BOUNTIFUL CENTERPIECE. Mix various elements and textures like flowers, fruits, foliage, pinecones, Christmas balls, and vintage Christmas figurines to come up with a classic and bountiful centerpiece. Make sure to have different levels when placing the items in the centerpiece so that it becomes more aesthetically pleasing. In the tablescape here, the big hydrangeas were placed first, followed by the Christmas balls and other Christmas ornaments. Use fillers in the hollow parts of the centerpiece but do not to use too many elements. Fillers such as leaves, pinecones and bunches of berries in between the big objects will help create a fuller and more proportioned centerpiece. Adding fillers also creates a more lush centerpiece. In case you prefer to use fresh flowers, it is best to use nice ceramic containers as a base that can be filled with water, and floral foams to stick in the various fresh elements.

2. USE TRAYS OR TABLE RUNNERS FOR WOODEN TABLES. To have a more worry-free centerpiece and to protect the table from possible scratches, place the centerpiece items on an elevated silver tray or a table runner prior to setting it up.

3. CONSIDER THE SHAPE OF THE DINING TABLE AND USE ELEMENTS THAT CAN CREATE A COHESIVE LOOK. Consider the shape of the dining table as well as the overall decoration of your space prior to actually setting up a tablescape. Putting items of the same color elements and grouping different objects, like mixing big Christmas balls with hydrangeas and fruits helps in creating a colorful centerpiece. Gathering items saves time during the actual setting-up of the tablescape.

4. ADD FESTIVE ELEMENTS TO STEMWARE, AND LAYER PLATES. Adding small festive items like ribbons, miniature sleigh bells, stars or candy canes around the base of stemware also creates a more fun vibe to the setting. Using plate chargers and layering plates for the dining set-up also enhances the colors or design details of the plates. You do not need to buy plates with Christmas designs as you can use plates with gold edge trimming or those with colors that evoke Christmas like red and green. Using colors that are related to the centerpiece elements are also important to have a more coordinated table setting.

5. MAKE PLACE CARDS AND ATTACH THEM TO SMALL GIFTS. Preparing place cards and attaching them to small gifts that are beautifully wrapped adds a personalized touch that will certainly be appreciated. Plus, the place cards also guide guests with the seating arrangement for the special gathering.

6. MIX CHAIRS. To create a more festive atmosphere, you can mix chairs in different colors in order to create a more unconventional, fun and stylish dining atmosphere.

7. ADD SMALL TABLES. To have extra “table surface,” add small tables around the main dining table for use as wine caddies, or as a table for pitcher with water or ice buckets. Small tables can also hold appetizers or serve as a place to park your lady guests’ handbags or what-nots. If you are hosting a big family reunion, you can set up small tables with a kiddie Christmas themed tablescape. Simply place Christmas themed items, candies and treats that kids would appreciate on the kiddie tables and use them as centerpiece.

8. USE A LONG SIDE TABLE AS A BUFFET TABLE. In order to entice guests to partake of the sumptuous dishes, use a long side table as a buffet table. Christmas decors that match the dining table may also be placed on the long side table to create a more coordinated look.

Photographs by Paul del Rosario